The invention relates to an electromechanical connecting device having a current supply housing and having a current tap housing, there being flat contacts in each case on mutually facing sides of the housing, the current supply housing being provided with current supply terminals and with a movable magnetic carriage with current contact points which are connected to the current supply terminals, a permanent magnet being arranged in the current supply housing on the side facing away from the current tap housing, the magnetic carriage of the current supply housing and the current tap housing in each case being provided with magnets which are arranged in such a way that, when current supply housing and current tap housing are placed on each other, in each case magnets of different polarity are arranged opposite one another, as a result of which the current contact points of the magnetic carriage produce a connection to the flat contacts of the current supply housing, counter to the retaining force of the permanent magnet, and therefore also produce the current connection to the flat contacts in the current tap housing.
A generic electromechanical connecting device is disclosed by WO 98/0934.
In relation to the previous prior art, reference is also made to WO 97/50152.
As a result of the current supply housing and current tap housing being placed on each other, on account of the magnets of the magnetic carriage of the current supply housing and the magnets of the current tap housing, the magnetic carriage is moved counter to the retaining force of the permanent magnet in such a way that a connection is produced to the flat contacts of the current supply housing and therefore also a current connection to the flat contacts in the current tap housing.
In this case, for specific areas of application, it is disadvantageous that the magnetic carriage already move in the direction of the flat contacts of the current supply housing and reaches said contacts before contact has been made between the flat contacts of the current supply housing and the current tap housing. The result of this is that the flat contacts of the current supply housing are already live before the flat contacts of the current tap housing are connected to them. As a result, an arc can be produced between the flat contacts. In a manner analogous to this, when the current tap housing is separated from the current supply housing, a separating spark can be produced.
For various areas of application, in particular in the motor vehicle sector, an arc between the flat contacts has proven to be disadvantageous. In particular also from safety considerations, an open or visible arc or separating spark is not desired, in particular in motor vehicles. Furthermore, the easy detachability between the current supply housing and current tap housing may be disadvantageous for specific areas of application of the electromechanical connecting device, although it is desired in other areas of application.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,216 discloses an electromechanical connecting device having magnets in a current tap housing and a current supply housing and having flat contacts in addition to a magnetic carriage, which is held in a hold-back position by spring force, it being possible for the current supply housing and the current tap housing to be connected to each other and disconnected forcibly over a turning travel by a rotating device.
The present invention is based on the object of finding a solution to the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art, in particular preventing an open arc or separating spark between the flat contacts of the current supply housing and the current tap housing and, for appropriate areas of application, providing a connection which can be more highly loaded.
According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the current supply housing and the current tap housing can be forcibly connected to each other and disconnected by a rotating device via a turning motion, the rotating device having an entry/exit region and current contact region, between which the current supply housing and the current tap housing can be rotated in relation to each other, the entry/exit region being arranged in such a way that the magnets of the current tap housing and of the magnetic carriage of the current supply housing are offset in relation to one another in such a way that the magnetic carriage does not rest on the flat contacts of the current supply housing, the flat contacts of the current supply housing and/or of the current tap housing at least approximately having the shape of a circular arc, as a result of which the flat contacts of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing make contact earlier when current supply housing and current tap housing are connected and are in contact longer during their disconnection than the flat contacts of the current supply housing with the current contact points on the magnetic carriage.
The fact that the current supply housing and the current tap housing are forcibly connected by a rotating device advantageously means that the flat contacts of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing are connected before the current contact points on the magnetic carriage are in contact with the flat contacts of the current supply housing. This is possible since the magnets of the magnetic carriage and of the current tap housing are arranged in relation to one another only at the end of the rotary movement such that in each case magnets of different polarity are arranged opposite one another. Only in this position or, depending on the configuration, in a position adjacent thereto does the magnetic carriage move in the direction of the flat contacts of the current supply housing or bear on the latter, counter to the retaining force of the permanent magnet. At this time, however, the flat contacts of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing are already connected to one another, so that no arc can be produced between these. An arc can possibly be produced only between the current contact points on the magnetic carriage and the flat contacts of the current supply housing, and therefore internally.
When the current supply housing is separated from the current tap housing, the rotary movement or the rotating device ensures in an analogous manner that, firstly, the position of the magnets of the magnetic carriage in relation to the magnets of the current tap housing is changed in such a way that the magnetic carriage or the current contact points on the magnetic carriage are separated from the flat contacts of the current supply housing and only then is the contact between the flat contacts of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing interrupted. Consequently, the current tap housing is removed from the current supply housing only when the magnetic carriage has already moved in the direction of the permanent magnet or has arrived in the end position of this movement. A separating spark between the flat contacts of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing is thus ruled out. A separating spark of this type can be produced, likewise in a manner analogous to the arc during connection, only between the current contacts of the magnetic carriage and the flat contacts of the current supply housing, and thus likewise internally in the current supply housing.
For specific areas of application, the rotating device can be configured in such a way that inadvertent separation or easy disconnection of the current tap housing from the current supply housing is prevented. In this case, provision can also be made for the connection between the current tap housing and the current supply housing to be capable of being disconnected with a defined tensile force from safety considerations, before damage occurs to other parts, in the form of an emergency unlocking means.
The circular arc shape of the flat contacts ensures that, during the rotary movement of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing in relation to each other, a connection between the respective flat contacts is produced or is maintained. The circular arc shape or the bean-like form of the flat contacts can in this case be selected with respect to their length such that it is ensured that the flat contacts of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing make contact earlier during connection and are in contact longer during disconnection than the flat contacts of the current supply housing with the current contact points on the magnetic carriage. In this case, provision can advantageously be made for the flat contacts to extend over an angle which corresponds to the rotational angle of the rotary movement.
According to the invention, provision is also made for the rotating device to have an entry/exit region and a current contact region, between which the current supply housing and the current tap housing can be rotated in relation to each other, the entry/exit region being arranged in such a way that the magnets of the current tap housing and of the magnetic carriage of the current supply housing are offset in relation to one another such that the magnetic carriage does not rest on the flat contacts of the current supply housing.
The fact that the rotating device has a defined entry/exit region and a current contact region means that the device according to the invention can be handled safely and without faults in a particularly straightforward manner.
The arrangement of the entry/exit region ensures that, when the current tap housing is fitted to the current supply housing, only a contact between the flat contacts is produced, since the magnets of the magnetic carriage and of the current tap housing are offset in relation to one another in this region such that, if appropriate including the retaining force of the permanent magnet, it is ensured that the magnetic carriage does not rest on the flat contacts of the current supply housing. As a result of the rotary movement of the current supply housing and the current tap housing in the direction of the current contact region, on account of the magnets of the magnetic carriage and of the current tap housing, a movement of the magnetic carriage in the direction of the flat contacts of the current supply housing then takes place, which produces the desired current connection.
In a development of the invention, provision can be made for the magnets of the current tap housing and of the magnetic carriage of the current supply housing to be arranged in the entry/exit region in such a way that, because of the magnetic action, an automatic rotary movement of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing to the current contact region takes place.
This advantageously means that, after the current tap housing has been connected to the current supply housing, a desired current connection is produced in the entry/exit region without further measures being necessary. The current tap housing may be connected to the current supply housing advantageously and in a user-friendly manner. Furthermore, as a result of the automatic rotary movement, faulty operation is ruled out. Since the automatic rotary movement takes place on account of the magnetic action between the magnets of the current tap housing and the magnets of the magnetic carriage, an additional, possibly battery-operated device is not necessary is [sic]. As a result of the automatic rotary movement of the current supply housing and of the current tap housing, the operator additionally recognizes the fact that the current supply housing and the current tap housing have been connected to each other correctly by him or her.
It is advantageous if the rotating device is constructed as a bayonet-like closure.
Configuring the rotating device as a bayonet-like closure has proven to be particularly suitable with respect to the possibly desired connection security between the current supply housing and the current tap housing, cost-effective and simple production and the ability to be operated simply.
According to the invention, provision can further be made for the current tap housing and the current supply housing to have differently polarized magnets for different voltages, in particular 12 volts and 24 volts, in such a way that the magnetic fields of the 12-volt current tap housing and the 12-volt current supply housing and of the 24-volt current tap housing and the 24-volt current supply housing are oppositely polarized. This ensures that, if the 12-volt current tap housing, for example, is fitted wrongly, no automatic rotary movement between a 24-volt current supply housing and the 12-volt current tap housing takes place, or the magnetic carriage is not attracted by the magnets of the 12-volt current tap housing.